This date in Michigan History

This date in Michigan History: January 7, 1929
Detroit businessman Edward F. Schlee and his co-pilot, William S. Brock make the first nonstop Detroit-to-Miami flight, finishing in nine hours and 20 minutes.

As Schlee and Brock were winging their way south, the Ford Motor Company continued to expand its involvement in the nation’s fledgling passenger airplane industry. Ford’s Tri-Motor airplane, which became a staple in the nation’s commercial airplane industry during the early 1930s, provided many Americans with their first airplane ride. According to one observer, “If not for a Ford Tri-Motor, there might not be a United States airline industry.”

This date in Michigan History